"I'm really glad this movie has finally came together," said Nick Marickovich, who will be played by critically acclaimed Shakesperean actor Sir Arthur Biggles. "I really loved these books (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). The second one is probably my favorite, but the ending of the third is masterful, in my mind. In a few pages, Stieg Larsson manages to bring everything full circle. It is ashame that he died before he could write more of them."
The books tell the story of Lisbeth Salander, a woman in her twenties declared incompetant by the Swedish government who is the victim of continued injustices and sexual violence. She is a vision of empowerment: rather than trying to seek help from the authorities (who are actually against her...its a long story that is best left a mystery for those who want to read the novels) she takes matters into her own hands and exacts revenge against those who cross her with incredible ability.
"She's a fascinating character," said Nick in an interview with WassoBlog. "On the one hand, she operates completely outside the legal system. She is an expert computer hacker. She's a vigillante. She breaks laws left and right. On the other hand she has a very precise code of morality and justice, and she only seeks revenge on those who have transgressed against her. She also really can't relate to people well, though she tries. She takes no pleasure in music, and at the beach instead of sitting down on a towel with a novel like The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, she will be instead pouring over mathematical equations. "
Lisbeth Salander finds her fate entwined with the journalist Mikel Blomkvist over the course of the trilogy. When asked about Blomkvist, Nick's face clouds over and he launches into a long, rambling dialoge, looking first at the ceiling, then at the floor, then out the window. "Well," he says, "In the first book they are sort of tossed together when they try to solve a murder mystery. They do sort of fall in love...or at least Lisbeth does. But Blomkvist is very casual about most of his relationships. Women just sort of fall into his lap and take off their clothes, and he does really very little to stop them."
"I mean, its a good character trait for him to have, becuase while you might look at it and say 'wow, what a life this guy leads' its a negative trait in this case, and the author explores that. He ends up hurting some people, Lisbeth included. And I don't think its intentional, it just...it is what it is. With a few exceptions, relationships are just a string of casual sexual encounters. You know, when I was reading the books I thought that Blomkvist was dangerously close to being a Jack Ryan, just a perfect guy with lots of guts who manages to do everything right. But this flaw in his character...it saves him in a way. Gives him a chance to grow, if only a little bit."
When asked about the movie, Nick just shrugs his shoulders. "Its no secret that we've been beset by production delays and had some....problems with the cast. But we've come through all those."
When Wassoblog sat down with Sir Arthur Biggles, he had a very different take on things.
"They did not and do not respect my pedigree as an actor. For Christ's sake, I played Romeo on Broadway!"
When confronted with these accusations, director Ron Howard shook his head. "Yeah, the Broadway Dinner Theatre over Morleysville, West Virginia. Oh, and I must inform you that Sir Arthur Biggles, knight of the realm, purchased his knighthood online."
"Yes, I did purchase my knighthood online," said Biggles, lighting a pipe and generally looking sophisticated. "Its perfectly legitimate. Britain is strapped for cash, and they are offering titles up at auction on Ebay. The only requirement is that you be able to speak with an English accent. Since I took a dialects class at the Brookdale Recreation Center in 1997, well, I can. I am an actor, after all. It was the realization of a life long dream."
"He made Helena Bonham Carter [who plays Mrs. Marickovich] cry," said Producer Tom Hanks.
"I told her I met the Queen Mum." said "Sir" Arthur Biggles. "Which I did. I happened to run into her in a pastry shop outside of Lyme on Regis. Why she was there I have idea. I figured she wanted a muffin so I offered her mine. That way she wouldn't have to stoop so low as to actually purchase one. Why she never took my offer I will never understand; I had only taken one bite out of it. BUT ANYWAYS," says Biggles, drawing himself up to full height. "I have met the Queen Mum. I saw Ms. Carter play the Queen Mum in "The King's Speech". Helena Bonham Carter is no Queen Mum."
"This is the most fucked up thing I have ever worked on" muttered Howard as he walked away from the interview.
The movie is slated to open on Memorial Day, 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment